Intelligently responding to hardware failures so as to optimize system performance

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for intelligently responding to hardware failures so as to optimize system performance. An administrative server monitors the utilization of the hardware as well as the software components running on the hardware to assess a context of the software components running on the hardware. Upon detecting a hardware failure, the administrative server analyzes the hardware failure to determine the type of hardware failure and analyzes the properties of the workload running on the failed hardware. The administrative server then responds to the detected hardware failure based on various factors, including the type of the hardware failure, the properties of the workload running on the failed hardware and the context of the software running on the failed hardware. In this manner, by taking into consideration such factors in responding to the detected hardware failure, a more intelligent response is provided that optimizes system performance.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable storage medium for intelligently responding to hardware failures so as to optimize system performance, the computer programming product comprising programming instructions for:
 monitoring utilization of hardware in a system; 
 monitoring software components running on said hardware in said system to assess a context of said software components running on said hardware; 
 detecting a hardware failure; 
 analyzing said hardware failure to determine a type of said hardware failure; 
 analyzing properties of a workload running on said failed hardware, wherein said workload running on said failed hardware comprises an amount of processing that said failed hardware has been given to do at a given time, wherein said properties of said workload running on said hardware comprise creating an additional image of a pattern of said workload running on said hardware and placing said image of said pattern of said workload in a hot-standby mode in response to said hardware appearing likely to fan; and 
 responding to said detected hardware failure based on said type of said hardware failure, said properties of said workload running on said failed hardware, and said context of said software running on said failed hardware. 
 
     
     
       2. The computer program product as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said monitoring of said utilization of said hardware in said system comprises monitoring storage, networking, memory, and compute capacity. 
     
     
       3. The computer program product as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said properties of said workload comprise policies. 
     
     
       4. The computer program product as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said pattern of said workload comprises a collection of virtual machines. 
     
     
       5. The computer program product as recited in  claim 4  further comprising the programming instructions for:
 analyzing needs of said pattern of said workload; and 
 responding to said detected hardware failure is further based on said needs of said pattern of said workload. 
 
     
     
       6. The computer program product as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said needs of said pattern of said workload comprise individual virtual machine resource requirements and how said virtual machines work together in said pattern. 
     
     
       7. The computer program product as recited in  claim 1  further comprising the programming instructions for:
 analyzing an impact on workload requirements; and 
 responding to said detected hardware failure is further based on said impact on workload requirements. 
 
     
     
       8. The computer program product as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said monitoring of said software components running on said hardware in said system to assess said context of said software components running on said hardware comprises determining if a virtual machine running on said failed hardware is rated high priority. 
     
     
       9. A system, comprising:
 a memory unit for storing a computer program for intelligently responding to hardware failures so as to optimize system performance; and 
 a processor coupled to said memory unit, wherein said processor, responsive to said computer program, comprises: 
 circuitry for monitoring utilization of hardware in a system; 
 circuitry for monitoring software components running on said hardware in said system to assess a context of said software components running on said hardware; 
 circuitry for detecting a hardware failure; 
 circuitry for analyzing said hardware failure to determine a type of said hardware failure; 
 circuitry for analyzing properties of a workload running on said failed hardware, wherein said workload running on said failed hardware comprises an amount of processing that said failed hardware has been given to do at a given time, wherein said properties of said workload running on said hardware comprise creating an additional image of a pattern of said workload running on said hardware and placing said image of said pattern of said workload in a hot-standby mode in response to said hardware appearing likely to fail; and 
 circuitry for responding to said detected hardware failure based on said type of said hardware failure, said properties of said workload running on said failed hardware, and said context of said software running on said failed hardware. 
 
     
     
       10. The system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said monitoring of said utilization of said hardware in said system comprises monitoring storage, networking, memory, and compute capacity. 
     
     
       11. The system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said properties of said workload comprise policies. 
     
     
       12. The system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein said pattern of said workload comprises a collection of virtual machines. 
     
     
       13. The system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said processor further comprises:
 circuitry for analyzing needs of said pattern of said workload; and 
 circuitry for responding to said detected hardware failure is further based on said needs of said pattern of said workload. 
 
     
     
       14. The system as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said needs of said pattern of said workload comprise individual virtual machine resource requirements and how said virtual machines work together in said pattern. 
     
     
       15. The system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said processor further comprises:
 circuitry for analyzing an impact on workload requirements; and 
 circuitry for responding to said detected hardware failure is further based on said impact on workload requirements. 
 
     
     
       16. The system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said monitoring of said software components running on said hardware in said system to assess said context of said software components running on said hardware comprises determining if a virtual machine running on said failed hardware is rated high priority.